Bosonic integer quantum Hall effect in optical flux lattices

Abstract

In two dimensions strongly interacting bosons in a magnetic field can realize a bosonic integer quantum Hall state, the simplest two dimensional example of a symmetry protected topological phase. We propose a realistic implementation of this phase using an optical flux lattice. Through exact diagonalization calculations, we show that the system exhibits a clear bulk gap and the topological signature of the bosonic integer quantum Hall state. In particular, the calculation of the many-body Chern number leads to a quantized Hall conductance in agreement with the analytical predictions. We also study the stability of the phase with respect to some of the experimentally relevant parameters.